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Claudio Reyna

Reyna with the New York Red Bulls in 2008

Personal information

Date of birth

July 20, 1973 (age 51)

Place of birth

Livingston, New Jersey, U.S.

Height

5 ft 10 in (1.78 m)

Playing position

Midfielder

Youth career

1988–1991

St. Benedict's Gray Bees

Senior career*

Years

Team

Apps^†

(Gls)^†

1994–1999

Bayer 04 Leverkusen

(0)

1997–1999

→ VfL Wolfsburg (loan)

(6)

1999–2001

Rangers

(10)

2001–2003

Sunderland

(3)

2003–2007

Manchester City

(4)

2007–2008

New York Red Bulls

(0)

Total

282

(23)

National team

1994–2006

United States

112

(8)

Honours

Men's football

Representing United States
CONCACAF Gold Cup
Runner-up	1998 United States
Third	1996 United States
Third	2003 United States-Mexico
Pan American Games
Gold	1991 Havana	Team

Senior club appearances and goals counted for the domestic league only.

† Appearances (Goals).

Claudio Alejandro Reyna, born on July 20, 1973, is a famous American former soccer player. He played as a midfielder and was known for his skill and leadership on the field. After his playing career, he also worked as a soccer executive.

Claudio Reyna spent most of his professional playing career in Europe. He played for big clubs like Bayer 04 Leverkusen and VfL Wolfsburg in Germany, Sunderland and Manchester City in England, and Rangers in Scotland. He finished his career in 2008 with the New York Red Bulls in Major League Soccer (MLS), where he was the team captain.

Reyna was a key player for the U.S. national team. He played 112 games for his country between 1994 and 2006. He was part of four FIFA World Cup teams and retired from international play after the 2006 World Cup. He also played in two Olympic tournaments and several CONCACAF Gold Cups. In 2002, he was named to the World Cup All-Star Team, a huge honor for an American player. He was later inducted into the National Soccer Hall of Fame in 2012.

After retiring from playing, Reyna became a sporting director. He worked for New York City FC from 2013 to 2019. Later, he joined Austin FC in a similar role until 2023.

Early Life and Youth Soccer
- High School and College Success
Claudio Reyna's Club Career
International Career with the U.S. Team
- World Cup Appearances
- Olympic Games
Life After Playing: Soccer Executive
- New York City FC
- Austin FC
Personal Life and Family
Career Statistics
- International Goals
Honors and Awards
See also

Early Life and Youth Soccer

Claudio Reyna's father, Miguel, moved to the United States from Argentina in 1968. Miguel had played professional soccer in Argentina. He taught Claudio the game in Livingston, New Jersey, where Claudio was born.

High School and College Success

Reyna started his youth career at Jonathan Dayton High School. He then moved to Saint Benedict's Preparatory School. There, he played alongside future soccer stars like Gregg Berhalter. During Reyna's three years, his high school team had an amazing record, going undefeated with 65 wins and no losses. Reyna was named the national high school Player of the Year twice.

After high school, Reyna received a full scholarship to the University of Virginia. He played for the men's soccer team from 1991 to 1993. His coach was Bruce Arena, who would later coach the U.S. national team. The Virginia Cavaliers won the national championship every year Reyna played there. He also won individual awards like the Hermann Trophy in 1993.

Claudio Reyna's Club Career

Claudio Reyna spent many years playing professional soccer. He played for clubs in Germany, Scotland, England, and the United States.

Starting in Germany: Bayer Leverkusen and Wolfsburg

In 1994, after the 1994 FIFA World Cup, Reyna signed with Bayer 04 Leverkusen in Germany. It was tough for him to get playing time at first. In 1997, he was loaned to another German club, VfL Wolfsburg. At Wolfsburg, Reyna quickly became a key player. He even became the first American to be captain of a European club team.

Playing in Scotland: Rangers

In 1999, Reyna moved to Rangers, a big club in Scotland. He played there until 2001. Even though he was known as a creative midfielder, he often played on the right side of the midfield for Rangers. He scored 13 goals for the club. One of his most important goals helped Rangers qualify for the 1999–2000 UEFA Champions League.

Time in England: Sunderland and Manchester City

In December 2001, Reyna joined Sunderland in England's Premier League. He quickly made an impact, scoring the winning goal in his first home game against Everton. He scored two goals in a game against Leicester City in April 2002. Unfortunately, he suffered a serious knee injury in October 2002, which kept him out for six months.

In 2003, Reyna moved to Manchester City. Injuries continued to be a challenge for him during his time there. He played 87 games and scored four goals over three and a half seasons. In 2007, he left Manchester City to move back to the United States for family reasons.

Finishing in the U.S.: New York Red Bulls

In January 2007, Reyna signed with the New York Red Bulls in the MLS. He reunited with his former college coach, Bruce Arena. However, injuries continued to bother him. He played only 27 games in two years. In July 2008, Claudio Reyna announced his retirement from professional soccer.

International Career with the U.S. Team

Reyna practicing with the U.S. national soccer team in 2006.

Claudio Reyna was a very important player for the U.S. national team. He earned his first "cap" (played his first game) for the U.S. in 1994.

World Cup Appearances

Reyna was selected for four FIFA World Cup tournaments.

He was part of the team for the 1994 FIFA World Cup held in the U.S., but an injury prevented him from playing.
He played in the 1998 FIFA World Cup in France.
In the 2002 FIFA World Cup in South Korea and Japan, Reyna was a key player. Even though he missed the first game due to injury, he helped the U.S. reach the quarterfinals. This was a great achievement for the team. He was also named to the World Cup All-Star Team, becoming the first American player to receive this honor.
Reyna captained the U.S. team at the 2006 FIFA World Cup in Germany. He played well, but the U.S. team was eliminated in the group stage.

On June 23, 2006, Reyna announced his retirement from the national team. He finished his international career with 111 games played and eight goals scored.

Olympic Games

Reyna also represented the U.S. at two Olympic Games. He played in the 1992 Summer Olympics in Barcelona, Spain, and the 1996 Summer Olympics in Atlanta, Georgia.

Because he was the captain of the U.S. national team, people in Great Britain sometimes called him Captain America.

Life After Playing: Soccer Executive

After retiring as a player, Claudio Reyna took on leadership roles in soccer clubs.

New York City FC

In 2013, Reyna became the Sporting Director for New York City FC, a new MLS team. During his time there, New York City FC was very successful. They reached the conference semifinals in four out of five years. He left the club in 2019.

Austin FC

In 2019, Reyna became the Sporting Director for another new MLS team, Austin FC. He helped build the team for its first season in 2021. In 2022, Austin FC had a great season, reaching the Western Conference Finals. Reyna stepped down from his role in 2023.

Personal Life and Family

Claudio Reyna is married to Danielle Egan, who was also a professional soccer player for the United States women's national soccer team. They got married in 1997. They have four children: Jack, Giovanni, Joah-Mikel, and Carolina. Sadly, their son Jack passed away from brain cancer in 2012.

Their son Giovanni is also a talented soccer player. He was named after Claudio's former teammate, Giovanni van Bronckhorst. Giovanni Reyna now plays professionally in Europe.

In 2012, Claudio Reyna was elected into the National Soccer Hall of Fame. He speaks English and Spanish fluently, and he can also speak German.

Career Statistics

International Goals

Here are the goals Claudio Reyna scored for the United States national team:

List of international goals scored by Claudio Reyna
No.	Date	Venue	Opponent	Score	Result	Competition
1	April 20, 1994	Davidson, North Carolina, United States	Moldova	3–0	3–0	Friendly
2	May 7, 1994	Fullerton, California, United States	Estonia	2–0	4–0	Friendly
3	June 18, 1995	Washington, D.C., United States	Mexico	4–0	4–0	Friendly
4	June 9, 1996	Foxborough, Massachusetts, United States	Ireland	2–0	2–0	Friendly
5	November 9, 1997	Vancouver, Canada	Canada	1–0	3–0	1998 FIFA World Cup qualifying
6	April 22, 1998	Vienna, Austria	Austria	3–0	3–0	Friendly
7	February 6, 1999	Jacksonville, Florida, United States	Germany	3–0	3–0	Friendly
8	June 3, 2000	Washington, D.C., United States	South Africa	3–0	4–0	Friendly